Biographical Sketch of Rev. Thomas Rankin McDOWELL (1893); Chester County, PA Contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by John Morris . *********************************************************************** USGENWEB ARCHIVES NOTICE: Printing this file within by non-commercial individuals and libraries is encouraged, as long as all notices and submitter information is included. Any other use, including copying files to other sites requires permission from the submitters PRIOR to uploading to any other sites. We encourage links to the state and county table of contents. http://www.usgwarchives.net/ *********************************************************************** Source: "Biographical and Portrait Cyclopedia of Chester County, Pennsyl- vania, comprising a historical sketch of the county," by Samuel T. Wiley and edited by Winfield Scott Garner, Gresham Publishing Company, Phila- delphia, PA, 1893, pp. 433-4. "REV. THOMAS R. McDOWELL, the popular and successful pastor of Upper Octoraro Presbyterian church, near Parkesburg, this county, is a graduate from Princeton Theological seminary, and a gentleman of much culture and refinement. He was born October 22, 1855, in New London, Chester county, Pennsylvania, his parents being James B. and Eliza (Hall) McDowell. The McDowells are of Irish extraction and trace their ancestry back to James McDowell (great-great-grandfather), who was born in the north of Ireland in 1740, and about 1758 came to America and located in Pennsylvania. He married Elizabeth Loughead, of Concord, and settled on land partly belong- ing to her, later comprising the farms of Henry D. Hodgson and Franklin Garrett, at Lincoln station, in Lower Oxford township. About 1798 he pur- chased from Dr. Thomas Ruston the Ruston tract of four hundred and twenty- five acres on Elk, and removed thither. He died September 12, 1815, and was buried at New London. He served through the revolutionary war, and on May 1, 1786, was commissioned as captain of a troop of light horse militia in this county. His children were Mary, Jane, John, Margaret, Catharine, Elizabeth, Ann and Martha. (JMM: not listed in birth order) "John McDowell (great-grandfather) was born in 1768, married Sarah Gettys, of Philadelphia, and died in 1837. He was commissioned May 1, 1789, ensign of the fourth company of foot in the fifth battalion of militia, in the county of Chester, and August 1, 1814, an ensign of the ninth company of the 91st Pennsylvania militia, the latter commission being signed by Governor Findlay. His son, John McDowell (grandfather), was a native of Chester county, a prosperous farmer, and an attendant of the Presbyterian church. He married Eliza Henderson Carlile, by whom he had a family of four children, and died in 1860, aged sixty-nine years. "James Boyd McDowell (father) was born near New London, this county, in 1827, and at his death, in 1864, was cashier of the Citizens' National bank of Middletown, Delaware. Previous to accepting that position he had been principal of the New London academy for many years, and was widely known as a successful educator. He was a prominent member and elder of the Middletown Presbyterian church, and a stanch republican in his poli- tical belief. He married Eliza Hall, who was a native of Cecil county, Maryland, and a member of the Presbyterian church. She died in 1862, aged thirty-seven years, leaving a family of six children. Her father, Levi Hall, was of English descent, married Elizabeth Rankin, and died in Middletown, Delaware, at the advanced age of ninety-two years. "Rev. Thomas R. McDowell was reared partly in Middletown and partly in Chester county, Pennsylvania. He was prepared for college at the West Nottingham academy, Cecil county, Maryland, and entering Delaware college, Newark, Delaware, was graduated from that institution with honors in the spring of 1881. He then began the study of theology, taking a three year's course at the Princeton Theological seminary, from which he was graduated in June, 1884. His first work after graduation was as pastor of the Lower Brandywine Presbyterian church, near Wilmington, Delaware, but in 1889 he returned to Chester county, and on May 22 of that year, was installed pastor of the Upper Octoraro Presbyterian church, near Parkes- burg, which he has continued to serve in an acceptable manner ever since. The history of this church dates back to 1720. At the present time it has a membership of four hundred and thirty-three, and its prosperous condi- tion is largely due to the efficient labors of its enthusiastic and earnest pastor. In addition to his pastoral duties here, he has charge of three chapels elsewhere - one at Parkesburg, another at Pomeroy, and a third at Sadsburyville. "On March 14, 1888, Rev. Thomas R. McDowell was united in holy matrimony with Sophia S. Pusey, a daughter of Edward [and Mary Ella (Simmons)] Pusey, of Wilmington, Delaware. To them have been born three children: Edward Pusey, James Boyd, died at the age of fourteen months; and John Norman. "In political opinions Mr. McDowell is a republican, and is now serving as secretary of the school board of Sadsbury township. He is a member of Dupont Lodge, No. 29, Free and Accepted Masons, of Wilmington, Delaware; and of Centerville Lodge, No. 37, Independent Order of Odd Fellows, near the same city. he is a man of pleasant address, easily approached, and is immensely popular with his people and the general public."